Ron, A Dog No One Wanted

The clock was ticking for Ron a black lab. For three weeks, the stray dog sat inside a kennel at San Antonio Pets Alive (SAPA), a high intake shelter in Texas, after arriving there in December 2016. Ron (named by the volunteers at the shelter) arrived covered in mange, emaciated and battling multiple conditions (including heartworm), time was almost up for Ron, a middle-aged Labrador Retriever.

Volunteers Plead on Social Media

Shelter volunteers pleaded on social media for someone to adopt or foster him. One Facebook post was shared more than 1,200 times. No one wanted to adopt or even foster Ron. The clock was counting down on Ron’s life. His time at the shelter was nearly up. Local volunteers took more pictures of Ron and posted their desperate pleas on Facebook, begging for someone to save him.

A Miracle Is Needed

San Antonio Pets Alive needed a miracle and they received one. Lucky Lab Rescue and Adoption saw the pleas and decided Ron would be their Christmas present. Every holiday season, the rescue group, which saves thousands of dogs a year, focuses its attention on one special dog that needs help more than most.

Lucky Lab Rescue doesn’t shy away from medical cases like Ron. They were able to get the dog off the euthanasia list but still needed to find a foster parent willing to help him get the medical care he needed. Marie Guadagno, a senior program manager at the University of Texas at Austin, stepped in and came to Ron’s rescue. Marie has fostered close to 90 dogs over the past few years. She saw Ron on Facebook and fell in love. “He was sick and sad and looked so alone,” she says. She brought him home on Christmas Day, 2016.

But Ron still had a long way to go. Lucky Lab sent Guadagno home with bags of medicines for his health problems. Ron was battling ear, eye and skin infections. He needed medicated baths. On top of the heartworm, his liver and kidneys were not functioning properly. He was only half his desired weight of 60 pounds. It was touch and go for a while. There were so many complications and compounding issues. It was a constant battle to try and stay a few steps ahead of the unknown, Guadagno says. Several times she feared he might not make it. But she nursed him back to health.

With good food, and lots of love and care, Ron began to transform. His hair grew back. His sores healed up. By early January 2017, he had gained 12 pounds

Now, nearly 7 months later, Ron weighs 62 pounds. He has a gorgeous coat and most of his health problems are behind him. Ron was finally listed for adoption and is ready to find his forever home in Texas. He is such a happy and easygoing dog, he should have no trouble fitting in with a forever family.

Ron The Dog No One Wanted Finds The Perfect Family

Cindy and Doug Burns had a home with four dogs at one time but by the summer of 2017 only one dog was left. Annie their reddish-colored lab looked awfully lonely on their six-acre lot near Austin. Cindy met Ron through Lucky Lab Rescue. Cindy introduced Annie to Ron and the two dogs hit it off right away. Ron had found his forever home. The Burns renamed him Apollo. He gets to go camping and boating. Plus, Apollo now has a huge yard to explore with his new best friend Annie.

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